Mj. Covas et al., EFFECTS OF THE NEUROPEPTIDE, SUBSTANCE-P, ON LYMPHOCYTE-PROLIFERATIONIN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS, Journal of international medical research, 23(6), 1995, pp. 431-438
Citations number
20
Categorie Soggetti
Pharmacology & Pharmacy","Medicine, Research & Experimental
There is evidence supporting the involvement of the neuropeptide, subs
tance P, in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. In view of the s
uggested role of T-cells in this disease, we have investigated the eff
ects of substance P on mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation in rhe
umatoid arthritis patients. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells fro
m 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 25 controls were cultured
in the presence or absence of substance P (10(-10) M to 10(-6) M) and
stimulated with phytohaemagglutinin or concanavalin A. After 3 days of
culture the proliferative responses were determined by measuring [H-3
]thymidine incorporation into the cells. Substance P enhanced, in a do
se-dependent manner, the lymphocyte proliferative responses both in rh
eumatoid arthritis patients and in controls. Although there was a tren
d towards a greater enhancing effect in the rheumatoid arthritis patie
nts, this was not statistically significant. Some individual patients
with rheumatoid arthritis showed enhancements of lymphocyte proliferat
ion with substance P that were clearly outside the range seen in healt
hy controls. The possibility that substance P has a role in the pathog
enesis of rheumatoid arthritis through the upregulation of lymphocyte
activation should be considered in further studies of the immunomodula
tory properties of substance P in arthritis.